Bitcoin spikes to a record high near $6,000

• Bitcoin is closing in on the $6,000 mark for the first time on Friday, trading up 5.1% $5988 a coin, according to Bloomberg data.
• The reason for Friday's sudden spike is unclear.
• The cryptocurrency had been hovering little changed for most of the morning before suddenly spiking around 10 a.m. ET.
• Bitcoin has been able to shrug off news of a crackdown in China and regulatory uncertainty around initial coin offerings, a cryptocurrency-based fundraising method.
• After bottoming out near $2,900 per coin on September 15, it has since rallied.
• Bitcoin is up more than 500% this year.

NOW WATCH: The secret to Steve Jobs' and Elon Musk's success, according to a former Apple and Tesla executive